


This Was Unexpected

by jackjones47



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Canon compliant until ep. "Sotto Voce", F/M, Rare Pairings, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-10 19:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7857700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackjones47/pseuds/jackjones47
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shaw and Harold die in the fight against Samaritan, and Root and John must take care of two kids. </p><p>They slowly become a family of sorts, and one day Gen and Gabe help the two adults to realize that there is something important between them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Expendable Interface

**Author's Note:**

> Canon compliant until “Sotto Voce”. Shaw has been back for a month, and things are set in motion by an unusual number, not by Harold’s stupid slip.
> 
> I don’t expect too much success with this fic, since the Root-Reese pairing is quite unpopular; but I am okay with it. Also, sorry for killing Sameen and Harold.

\- Root - 

How could this have happened? I was so sure this was going to be a victory, a triumph. And now, the two people I cared the most about, Sameen and Harold, are dead!

It all began three days ago, when the Machine gave us Gabriel Hayward’s number …

\---

“He is Samaritan’s voice, of course he must be the perpetrator!” Sameen had said.

I was nervous, and I asked her “What would you do, then?”

“If he were a grown-up, a bullet between his eyes.”

“But since he is ten … “

Sameen sighed “I don’t know … I suppose we should get him, keep him somewhere until we have figured it out … “

I nodded, this was the best line of action, then Harold intervened “We might ignore this number altogether.”

I snapped “What? Maybe his life is in danger!”

“It’s not up to us to keep Samaritan’s assets safe.” He retorted. 

I screamed “He is a child!” I don’t even know why I was so upset!

John cleared his voice, and we all stared at him. “Sorry, Harold, I am with Root and Shaw on this. A child is a different story, you should know that.”

Harold sighed “Okay, then, but let’s be cautious, please.”

 

\- John - 

I was surprised by Root’s outburst; she considered Samaritan the biggest and worst possible enemy, yet she wanted to protect its interface; then I remembered why she had become a criminal. It had all started with the murder of her teenager friend, Hanna; probably she had a soft spot for kids.

I couldn’t help but sympathize with her, so I intervened, supporting her proposal, and earning a sincere smile from her.

We were able to save him in the nick of time from a team of Samaritan operatives, then we took him to the safe house, despite all the risks this choice had.

We had only to decide who was best suited to question him, and Root stepped forward. Harold was about to object, but I stopped him. Root looked at me, surprised, then gave me a small smile. I shrugged.

 

\- Root - 

It was the second time in one day that the big lug supported me, against Harold, nonetheless! I guess we were friends now, or maybe he simply decided I was the right person to handle with the boy.

This version of Gabriel had nothing to do with the haughty brat he had been when I had met him last year; he was more a frightened child, and he wasn’t pretending; I even realized he was struggling to hold back tears.

“Hello, Gabriel, do you remember me?”

“Yes … I am so sorry … “

“Don’t be afraid, dear, nobody will hurt you, but we need some answers; are you ready for this?”

He nodded, so I began “Those men, they were Samaritan operatives, weren’t they?”

He nodded again “They were trying to kill you, as we saw it … “

“Yes.” 

“Why, Gabriel?”

“You … you were right. Samaritan doesn’t care about people … he killed my parents.”

“My God! When did you realize that?”

“I had some suspicion, so I investigated, trying to be careful … “

“But not careful enough, huh?”

“Yes, obviously … “

 

\- John - 

I was amazed. The woman questioning the child before me was entirely different from the crazy, smug hacker I knew. 

She was compassionate, sweet and forthcoming; she could act, sure, but in this case it was obvious she wasn’t pretending; a thought crossed my mind for a moment: that she could have been a good mother; but I suddenly dismissed this ridiculous idea.

Gabriel was calmer now, he was apparently feeling more comfortable than some minutes before, and had begun to spill. Samaritan had killed his parents, faking a car accident, to sever his ties to his family, but he had figured it out; hence the attempted murder, which was supposed to look like an incident too.

Root was now trying to make him an ally, but she seemed conflicted about that; obviously, she wanted to win against Samaritan, but she was also afraid she could put his life in danger.

“Gabriel, as long as Samaritan is alive, it will be a threat to you; is there any information you can give us that could be useful?”

Gabriel nodded, then spilled everything. He talked about a secret place where Samaritan could be crashed only by infecting one of its servers, a specific one, at a specific time. As a consequence, the malware would reach every server of that A.I. from there.

The malware too had to be specific, since Samaritan was too powerful to be killed by a simple virus, and to write the right one we had to have its core code, which Gabriel had stored in a hard drive he had hidden.

Of course, given the risks, the place would have been heavily guarded, so this was going to be risky. We had two days to get ready, if we decided to go.


	2. Is Everything Lost?

\- Root -

Harold was the first to speak “It’s too dangerous now. We are outnumbered, if the operatives stationed there are really more than twenty.”

Then I spoke “We have always been outnumbered, Harold; what are you waiting for? That those operatives grow old and retire?”

Then it was Sameen’s turn “We can stop this war once and for all; I say, let’s go.”

I had a moment of uncertainty; I didn’t want her life to be endangered, it was barely a month that she had come back from Samaritan’s clutches, but how could I keep her from joining the fight? Then John spoke “We have seen worse, Harold; I am in.”

We determined to let Fusco out of this, he only had to care about Gabriel, whom we let at his house, and Bear; we started our preparation: bulletproof vests, and any sort of weapons; and Gabriel helped us retrieve the hard drive, and later to write the proper malware.

Harold and I added other lines of code, which could allow the Machine to use all the hardware of a destroyed Samaritan, thus taking charge of all its resources; basically, all his operatives, and Greer himself, would take orders from Her.

It was risky, though, because it established a direct line to the Machine, and if the malware proved unable to kill Samaritan, the Machine would have been doomed, along with us. The Machine told me that we had a 72% probability of success. 

Anyway, we had decided to give it a try, and nobody backed out.

\---

The information Gabriel gave us was right, but the fight in the basement of the building was a bloody mess anyway. Harold managed to upload the malware while we were shooting the last operatives, but Sameen was injured.

Suddenly, he announced he had finished, and those were his last words: a stray bullet pierced his brain, and he was gone.

I stared at him in horror, crying out his name, but John grabbed me, drawing me away from the line of fire.

He said we had to go, more operative were probably on the way, and we began to leave the building, when I realized that Sameen wasn’t following us; she was clutching her abdomen, and was pale; I kneeled before her, and she showed me her blood-soaked hand, saying in a faint voice some words that chilled me: “Black blood … pierced liver; I have only some minutes left.”

“No, it cannot be. Please, Sameen … we must bring you to the hospital!”

“Please, Root, I have not much time … and many things to tell you.”

I nodded, tears running freely down my cheeks.

“You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Root ... thank you for loving me and not expecting anything in return … I love you too, and I am sorry for saying it so late … “ 

“I already knew, sweetie … “ 

“I have a huge favor to ask … take care of Gen … John will explain, and please, promise that you will be happy, and that you won’t let this change you.”

“I … I promise. God, I am so sorry … “

“Don’t be … you made my life better … and now kiss me, and hold my hand.”

I did that, kissing those wonderful lips for the last time, then I saw her eyes turning glassy, I felt the grip of her hand loosening, and she exhaled her last breath.

I hugged her body, sobbing, then I felt a hand on my shoulder, and John’s voice: “We must go, Root … so sorry.”

He was crying silently, and I nodded.

\---

I would have already shot myself dead if it weren’t for the promise I made to Sameen, so I have decided to keep going, trying to forget as much as possible what has happened; I am headed to my place, a small apartment in Bronx.

John is with me; we have decided against splitting up, even if it would have been a better option to escape Samaritan, but we both couldn’t bear to be alone in this moment. It’s almost midnight.

The Machine is keeping me updated with the probability of success as for the malware, and sadly they were shrinking rapidly; apparently, Samaritan has better defenses than we thought, and now, half an hour after the upload, the number is 27%.

My world has crashed in the worst possible way; the two persons I care the most are gone, but my mind is still in denial mode; I don’t know how I can manage to walk, one step at a time; every now and then I stumble, but John’s strong hand is always there, propping me up.

We enter my place; John inspects all the rooms, but there is nothing suspicious.

I subside into my couch, and suddenly I fully realize what has happened, that the love of my life is gone forever, and I pass out.

 

\- John - 

Root has lost consciousness, and I don’t know if it’s better to leave her so, or try to wake her up; I decide for the former option.

I check her pulse, and find it’s weak, but stable, and she’s breathing right; I sit down beside her and put an arm around her shoulder, and let her head rest on my shoulder; I realize that maybe this is a bit too much, since we have never been friends, but then I decide that I don’t care; she needs support, now more than ever, and I am the only one who can give her that.

Harold and Shaw, two great friends of mine, are dead; I begin to think about Harold, how he saved my life giving me a job, and other events, both big and small, which defined our friendship; him defusing a bomb vest I was wearing on a rooftop, us washing Bear; then Shaw, her sacrificing herself for us at the Stock Exchange, her coming back a week ago. Her love for Root, almost unbelievable for sociopath like her.   
I hope this sacrifice will give the Machine a victory over Samaritan, but this is a huge blow anyway.

For the woman beside me, though, this must be a nightmare; she considered Harold a father, and she loved Shaw.

I really pity her; she was a murderer, and not long ago I would have killed her for what she did to Harold, but if grief is a measure of atonement, she has had more than her fair share of both.

I think about her crappy childhood, the rape and murder of her only friend, the betrayal of the adult world; then about her losing faith in humanity, becoming a monster, then finally seeing the light: Harold and his Machine; then she found a person to love, and lost her twice, the second time for good.   
I am surprised that I care about her; I remember that it began with a number, Cyrus Wells, that she saved at the risk of her own life; I thought she was crazy, but I also respected her courage and the choice she made.  
When I realized that she was in love, I thought she was a better person, since I firmly believe that if you love someone you cannot be that bad.  
Now, I am afraid she will do something rash, she could even took her life; she has never been very stable, and maybe after what happened today …

She groans and awakens, her gaze unfocused, then she feel my arm around her shoulder, turns her head and looks at me, in disbelief; I feel embarrassed and pull it away, but she gives me a little, trembling smile, saying in an exhausted voice: “Don’t worry, John, I already knew you care.” I smile back, a little awkwardly.


	3. Bitter Victory

\- Root - 

What do we do now? The Machine gave me the last updates: 1.32% probability for the malware to kill Samaritan, 2.56% that we are tracked down and killed within one hour, but 97.62% within six hours.

I decide to tell him, he deserves to know: “John, the malware failed, and this is our last night; if you have to say goodbye to someone … like Iris … “ 

“No! No, I would only endanger her life too; I’ll stay here, I won’t leave you alone in a moment like this.”

I feel overwhelmed by his kindness “Thank you, John.” I hug him, then I take his hand and drag him into the bedroom “Let’s go to bed, John.”

He open his eyes wide, and I chuckle “Not for sex, silly, I only want to be more comfortable, and I don’t want to be alone.” So he follows me.

And here we are, lying on the bed, fully dressed and with a distance of two feet from each other; I begin to speak: ”I have to apologize, John, for having been an asshole.”

“What do you mean?”

“You have always been much more than I thought of you; much more than the muscle, the helper monkey, Harold’s goon … “

“No need to apologize; I didn’t think too highly of you either, you know … dangerous, unstable, crazy.“

“Yeah, but you were right.”

“Oh, I am not so sure; you are a much better person now, that’s so obvious; and you weren’t even that crazy, if I think of it; indeed, about the Machine … well, I don’t think She is a God … but She cares for us, as you said; Harold was wrong on this.”

“So, have you forgiven me?”

“Of course I have; and I am sure that, if there is Someone up there, He has forgiven you too.”

I chuckle “Do you know why I didn’t help much with the numbers, and went along the Machine’s will instead?”

“Tell me.”

“When I was a criminal I was responsible of so much pain that I felt like I could never make up for it by saving a person at a time; taking care of the relevant numbers allowed me to save hundreds of people. A faster track to the ultimate goal: atonement.”

“So I chose the slow track instead? Saving one life at a time?”

“You hadn’t committed the crimes I had.”

“Are you sure? I killed more people than you, probably. And some of them were innocent.”

“Yes, but you worked for the Government.”

“When you pull the trigger, the person you are killing doesn’t care a damn if the shooter is paid by the CIA or by a crime boss.”

We stay in companionable silence for a while, then he adds: “Atonement comes with the good you have done, but also with the pain you suffered to do it. And you suffered so much … I am so sorry about Sameen.”

I sigh “She asked me to be happy, and don’t let her death change me; and to take care of … Gen?”

“Yeah, a little girl she helped, a former number.”

“This is not important, though, not anymore; we are spending our last night on this earth, so … “

“Don’t give up hope, Root.”

I want to rebut, but I am interrupted by the Machine “4.56% probability of success”, and I frown, telling John those same words, and adding: “It’s low, but higher than it was before … “

He gives me a little smile, and takes my hand in his, squeezing it lightly “See? There is still hope.”

Half a minute later, another update: 17, 55%, then 23,81%, then 31,45%; I begin to breathe “John, I don’t know what’s happening, probably we will never know, but it’s getting better and better.”

Seventeen minutes later, this is the message of the Machine: “The operation was a success; I am in charge of the whole hardware of Samaritan. Admin is dead and cannot tell me what to do. Who is the new Admin?”

I say: “John, we won!” He smiles and hugs me. But I am not happy, not after what I have lost.

I inform him we have to decide who is the new administrator, and what we have to do now.


	4. Explanations

\- John - 

I tell her: “Of course the new administrator must be you. I trust you fully, and you are more than capable of doing this.”

She thanks me, touched, then speaks to the Machine: “I am the new Admin; John Reese agrees.”

After that, she asks me:”What do we do?”, so we begin to give Her orders, for Samaritan operatives to lay down arms and for the legitimate authorities to be restored, in any sector where they had been replaced by the evil Artificial Intelligence.

\---

After an hour, we hear somebody knocking on the door; the Machine says there is no danger, then we open it; there is a woman, alone; I think I have already seen her, but don’t remember where and when; she’s blonde, pretty and young.

She introduces herself: “My name is Brooks, but you can call me Control.”

“Control? Are you in charge of the ISA now?” She nods. 

I pat her down, then I ask her: “You came alone? Unarmed?”

“Yes, if I had to earn your trust this is the right way; besides, the Machine said I should not be afraid of you.”

Root cuts in: “And She tells me we must trust you too.”

We let her in, and she begins to explain: “ Last year, many of my colleagues were killed; I learned later that this murders went under a specific name: the Correction. They killed Control, her deputy, and my partner, Grice.” Suddenly I remember a warehouse and a little fight with the ISA agents.

The woman goes on: “I had showed less doubts about the new ‘Research’, as we called the source of our information, so they let me live, and I decided to abide by their rules; I did it well, apparently, since I got Control’s job. But I was pretending, and waiting for the right opportunity.”

Root intervenes: “And it came … ?”

“Yes, a man whose name is Joey told me anything, about the Machine and Samaritan, their different aims, anything. Strangely, the Machine had understood that I was pretending to comply, Samaritan didn’t, I guess the former is better at getting people’s minds.”

“Yes, She is. She had a better teacher.” Root replies.

Brooks apparently doesn’t notice which pronoun Root uses for the Machine, and goes on: “I wanted revenge, but this Joey guy told me I had to wait, and to fully earn their trust. He gave me a phone that Samaritan couldn’t listen to, and we concocted a little plan to climb the ladder … long story short, he faked an attack to a politician who is also a Samaritan puppet, and I intervened saving his ass, so they made me the leader of the ISA.  
And some hours ago I was told by the Machine to reach a specific building; so I gathered six agents I knew I could count on, and went there.”

“And … “

“And I found a basement where a battle had been fought, with bullet holes in the walls and blood stains; there were no armed operatives there, they had probably been disposed of, but some IT guys were working hard on one of the servers they had there. So, following the Machine’s instructions, I stopped them and made our techie enhance a malware that was running in one of the servers.”

Root exclaims: “That’s why the Machine won in the end, thanks to you.”

“Yes, I guess so; but listen … after a while, we found a room full of bodies; one of them belonged to someone I knew … “

“Sameen … “

“Yes, Sameen Shaw. The Machine told me you two were … close.”

Root’s eyes are watery “Yes; what will happen to her body?”

“She will be buried as a Marine, with her name and all the honors she deserves, I’ll make sure of this.”

“Thank you. There is also a man we care about, in his fifties, with glasses, have you seen him too?” Her voice is shaken, so I reach her arm and squeeze it lightly.

“You can come with me, I’ll show you the bodies and you will point him out.”

“Okay … what happens next?” I ask.

“The personnel hired by Samaritan is surrendering; funny, it’s their A.I. that’s giving them these orders, but we know it’s the Machine instead; the vast majority of them are not guilty, they didn’t even know what was going on; those who are responsible of crimes will be arrested by the proper authorities. And those few who know about the A.I., well, they won’t see another human being again; we cannot allow them to spill the truth.”

“Are you killing them?”

“No, but they will be kept in a secure facility until the end of their days.”

Root says: “We know the truth too, though. And there other people everywhere that the Machine recruited, like that Joey.”

“Yes, that’s we should try to have a deal … nobody will hurt you, or the people of other teams; the Machine cares for you too much, but … I know you, Groves, are the administrator now; the question is, do you want to continue? I am asking you both, of course.”

I look into Root’s eyes, and she looks into mine; there is only weariness and sorrow on her face, and I am sure I look the same, so I say: “If we quit, what happens?”

“You tell the Machine you give up your administrative rights, and the ISA is again in charge of the relevant numbers. About the irrelevant, we may get their numbers too, and give them to the proper authorities … no need to tell them who churns them out.“

I say: “We did our duty, and paid a huge price for that.” I look at Root, who nods, so I go on: “We quit. We will try to lead a normal life, if this is even possible.”

Brooks smiles tiredly “Okay, then. What will you do now?”

Root says: “We’ll give you the administrative access, but only after She has fabricated a new identity for us. And … there is a couple of kids we must take care of.”

“Oh, you want to adopt them, you mean?”

“I don’t know, we’ll see.”

Brooks seems embarrassed “Yeah, about that, you understand that secrecy is important … when the existence of a system of surveillance was leaked, two years ago, the Northern Lights program was closed … so, nobody else must know.”

Root snaps: “They already know!”

Brooks looks surprised “How is that?”

“One of them is a boy who was the Analog Interface of Samaritan, before that A.I. tried to murder him, and the other one is a girl who was in touch with Shaw … and if you even think to hurt them, in any way … “

Brooks rolls her eyes “Calm down, Groves, I am not a monster … “

“A shame, because I was one, and you don’t want to see me angry!”

Brooks is speechless, and slowly nods.


	5. My Name Is Samantha

\- Root - 

This woman is driving me mad. I understand , she is doing her duty, but I can’t bear to hear her implying that something could happen to the kids. Suddenly, I stop: the Machine reminds me that this woman is trustworthy, so I mutter an apology.

Brooks shakes her head, chuckling, and replies: “You are not the monster you say you are; I have never seen a monster caring for two kids so much; okay, then, if they are smart they won’t spill anything.   
But I want your word of honor that you will keep the secret.”

I give her my word, and so does John. Then I tell the Machine that the ISA is the new Admin, and we prepare for the painful task of seeing the bodies of two loved ones, and to take part in their funerals.

\---

Three busy days have passed and our friends have been buried. I don’t remember much about the funerals, I have been dazed since the day Sameen died. The only thing I am sure of is John’s quiet presence beside me, his support.

The Machine is not in my ear anymore, and I feel lonely; saying Her goodbye was hard, but I had to do that. Before that, She had churned out two new identities for John and me. He will be John Wharton, self defense instructor, and I will be Samantha Williams, IT expert.

Money is no more a problem for us: we discover that Harold has left a big chunk of his wealth to us.

We will move to Trenton, New Jersey; I don’t know why we decided to leave New York; too many painful memories, probably, but anyway it’s only one hour’s drive from the Big Apple.

We don’t even know why we decided to move to the same town, to neighboring buildings even; but we both agreed on that; I guess I need to be close to a friend, and so does John.

And tomorrow will be an important day too, since we must take a decision about Gabriel and Gen.

I am in a diner, having breakfast, then I hear John’s kind voice behind me: “May I join you?”

“Of course, gladly, John.” Well, it’s not only politeness on my part, I am really happy to see him, but I’m hoping this doesn’t show too much.

He sits down “How are you feeling?”

“I … miss her so much … and Harold too.” I’m struggling to hold back tears.

“I know … time will help, believe me.”

I nod, touched “You have already gone down that path, and not once … Jessica, Joss … now Harold and Sameen.” ‘And yet you are not whining like I am’ is left unsaid.

“Yes … and I want to tell you that this grief you are feeling is not only a bad thing.”

I am surprised “How is that?”

“It proves what Brooks told you, that you are a good person now; you care for others, not only our poor friends, but Gabriel and Gen too.”

“Oh … thank you, John. You know, you have always been kind to me, more than I deserved, so … let me say that I care about you too.”

He gives me a sincere smile.

After some moments of awkward silence, I ask: “John, tomorrow we must go to Lionel and decide about Gabriel … what do you suggest?”

“Has he any relatives?”

“None. Samaritan killed them all, not only his parents.”

“Poor boy … alone in the world; and the same applies to Gen; have you ever met her?”

“No, not yet … but I really want to do something for her, I owe it to Sameen; and for Gabriel, too. But I must ask you, are you willing to help with them?”

“Of course I am.”

“And … will Iris agree? Have you ever talked to her about such an occurrence?”

He sighs “We broke up, you know.”

“Yes, but it was because of Samaritan; now you are free to live your life.”

“Not so free, if you think about it; she is a smart woman, and if we get together she will want to know … and I swore not to tell anything to anyone … “

I hadn’t thought about this, so I say: “What? Do you mean we cannot have someone in our lives? Be happy?”

“If we share our life with another person, we must share our past too … and we cannot; not with someone who is unaware of the Machine and Samaritan, of what we did.” He stops a moment, then adds “We went through hell, Root, all of us; an unimaginable hell; this is not something you can keep hidden from a person who is living with you, day after day.”

I try to lighten the mood “You should try with someone who already knows, then. What about Harper? I have never seen her in the flesh, but she is good-looking.”

He shrugs “I’ll keep it in mind. But she is not my type.”

”What about that Brooks? She is quite pretty … “

He smiles and replies: “Nice try, Root; but I doubt the big boss of the ISA could have any interest in someone like me.”

“Someone like you? What do you mean?”

“I am useless now. I don’t even know what I will do with my life … I have fulfilled my purpose … what I can expect now is waiting the day I go six feet under … “

I feel angry all of a sudden “I can’t believe it! John, you are much more than this. And you still can do a lot of good, to begin with those two kids … and, let me say, I wouldn’t have made it without you; you gave me strength through these days … hope.”

He puts his hand on mine and gives me a small smile “We went a long way, didn’t we?”

“Absolutely!”

After a few minutes of silence, I decide it’s time to go back to business. “Listen, John, I have a proposal, if you and the kids agree; you know we have two houses in Trenton, not too far apart, and we could keep Gen and Gabriel with us; like, for a week Gen stays by me and Gabriel by you, the next week the opposite.   
So they will get to know us, and we them. Maybe some days they both can stay in the same place, so they can know each other too.  
And in a few months we’ll talk about that again; what do you think?”

“Okay, Root; you are right, this may give us a new purpose.”

“Great, John … and please, call me Samantha, or Sam; Root was a killer for hire, and it’s better if our new identities are kept intact; the Machine cannot help us anymore.”


	6. Memories Of A Lost Love

\- Root -  
I am in my bed, but I can’t fall asleep. Then, I remember another night, about a week ago.

I was with Sameen, and we had sex. It was different from any other time before that; she had been less rough, sweet even, and afterwards we cuddled. It was the day that I knew for sure that she reciprocated my love, even if in her own way.

I remember her words “Do you think we just … made love?”

“Yes, Sameen. At least, I did.”

She was gazing at me, a new kind of affection in her eyes “I care about you, Root. A lot.”

“I know, honey.”

“You helped me when I came back, twenty days ago … I wouldn’t have made it, otherwise.”

“That’s normal, given that I love you more than anything else.”

She sighed “That's what worries me.”

“Oh … why?”

“Because, you see, if something happens to you, I will be angry, shattered … but I’d probably manage to survive.”

“Yes, I know you are … resilient.”

“But, if I die … “

“You won’t!”

“If I die, what would you do? I don’t want you to kill yourself, or waste your life, mourning me forever.”

“Don’t die, then. Simple like that.”

“I am serious, Root.”

“Okay, Sameen; what should I do, then?”

“There are other people who care for you, you know that.”

“Oh, I know, Harold is a friend.”

“I wasn’t thinking of him, to be honest.”

“Oh?”

“He is smart, in his field. But if something bad happens, if you need someone on your side, you have only to hope it’s not him.”

“Why are you saying this?”

“I don’t think he is really a friend, or that he really cares for us.”

“But he cares, Sameen; he cared for the numbers, for us … for the whole world!“

“If you really believe he cares for the world, why didn’t he kill the Congressman? He delivered the world to Samaritan, free of charge!”

“Every life is important to him, even that of a corrupt politician.”

“But not those of the goons who were holding Grace, huh? They were expendable, and revenge is a better cause for murder than saving the world … “

“Sameen, are you suggesting that John and Lionel are better at moral support than Harry?”

“Exactly; Reese, especially … “

I chuckled “The big lug? Really?”

Sameen was serious “Really, Root. He is loyal, and never lets you down; he’s boring, maybe, if compared to a nutty like you … “

“Geez, thanks!”

“ … But he is someone you could count on, always; and he is smarter than you think.”

“Oh … you admire him.” And my mind wandered to the days after the Stock Exchange, when Sameen was gone and the person who really helped me was John. Much more than Harold, anyway, and John was wounded!

“Well, yes, he is a soldier, like me, and he would never let a comrade down … “

“Don’t worry, sweetie, John and I are friends now.”

“I know, anybody can see that. By the way, I didn’t like when you called him those nicknames.”

“Okay, this is the past; but going back to Harold, he cares about the numbers, he is not heartless.”

“The numbers? Reese cares for the numbers; Finch only wants to be able to say he is a good man.”

“You are way too harsh with him, Sameen.”

“You only say that because you are a nerd, just like him; but caring for friends is different.  
I think Finch is a bit … emotionally stunted, not as much as me, though; John is more compassionate.  
Again, if something happens to me, please don’t reject Reese if he tries to help you. Promise?”

“Sure, sweetie.” I answered in a light-hearted tone. I couldn’t know back then how prophetic this talk was doomed to be.

\---

In the morning, John is at my place; he came to give me a ride so we can go to Lionel together; he hasn’t eaten yet, so I make breakfast for us both.

When we are finished, he says: “Thirty-two million dollars.”

“Excuse me?”

“The amount of money you gave to charity: to support children, mainly, like pedriatic hospitals, UNICEF, and similar projects.”

I am stunned “How do you know?”

“Harold told me; and the Machine told Harold.”

“Oh … “

“Yes, he had an argument long ago with his … child; he maintained you were dangerous and not trustworhty, so the Machine told him that, to convince him that you are a good person.”

“Really? And … did She manage to convince him?”

“He wasn’t, not completely … but I am, for what it’s worth.”

“Thank you, John, it means a lot to me.” I feel an urge to hug him, but I don’t want him to get it wrong.

“You had a huge stash, huh?”

“It was the money I had earned as a killer; It served a good purpose, at least.”

“Sure; and you had a special thought for children.”

I sigh “The biggest possible crime, as I see it, is for adults to let children down. They are vulnerable, and they need our support … you know what happened to Hanna … to me! Those grown-up men and women, back in Bishop, betrayed me and her; and I became a monster! This must not happen again, never … that’s why I called and thanked you for giving me closure about Hanna … I was still a deranged criminal, but … I meant every single word.”


	7. Taking Care Of The Kids

\- John – 

She says these words in a shaken voice, and her eyes are watery. 

I smile, then I draw an old phone out of my pocket, and turn it on; we hear her voice “Is this a bad time, John? I wanted to thank you, for finding my friend Hanna, giving her a proper burial … I won’t forget it.”

Anyone could perceive that her voice is shaken when her friend’s name is pronounced.

She is open-mouthed, and I tell her: “I know you were sincere … to be honest, I kept this back then because I thought it might be useful to better track you down, then I forgot I had it, and today I found it in a drawer, while I was cleaning Harold’s stuff … it’s obvious that you weren’t all bad, even in your worst days.  
And now, let’s go, Lionel is waiting for us!”

\---

I knock on Lionel’s door in the morning, and he comes and opens it. He sees me and Sam and nods, greeting us; his eyes are red and it’s plain he has shed a lot of tears; he hugs her, whispering something I don’t hear.

We get in, and we find Gabriel, and Bear. Lionel explains that Lee is with his mother, for safety reasons.

Gabriel has wept too, then he hugs Sam, who looks touched, and says in a light-hearted tone: “Wow, everyone seems to like me, I’m a lucky girl!” But everyone could perceive sadness in her words.

Then we settle on the couch and inform Gabriel about our new lives, asking him if he wants to try to be part of them, and he nods vigorously; he adores Sam, of that I am pretty sure.

Bear is puzzled, he doesn’t see his favorite human; I pity him too.

\---

In the afternoon, we are outside the school’s courtyard, and we spot the girl easily, her trademark red, curly hair is unmistakable. She sees us, our faces, and freezes; she immediately understands, and her eyes turn watery.

She approaches us, greets me, then turns to Sam “You are Root.”

She nods and adds: “Call me Sam.”

“She said you are beautiful … she loved you.”

Sam sighs “Would you come with us, Gen? Have an ice cream?”

\---

Gen is not hungry, apparently. She has heard us making her the same proposal we made to Gabriel, but her ice cream is untouched and melted. She’s pondering, obviously.

Then she gives us her answer: “Yes, I would love that.”

Sam is relieved “I am so happy, Gen. You know, I have promised to take care of you … “

“You promised that … to her? While she was … dying?”

Sam nods, holding back tears, then asks: “Are you sure? I mean, you barely know John, and this is the first time you see me.”

Gen smiles “Of course; Shaw liked John, he was a soldier, like her, and you are someone special, how could I mistrust you?”

“Special?”

“Yes, you know how Shaw is … was … a sociopath, feelings were not her thing, but when she spoke of you, her eyes lit up; only a special person can have this effect, don’t you think?”

Sam and I are speechless: this little girl is smart and far more perceptive than her age would suggest.

And I am beginning to think the same thing: Samantha Groves is really a special person.

 

\- Samantha -

I like this girl, and I understand why Sameen wanted me to take care of her. I cover her hands with mine, squeezing them. “Thank you, Gen, you are a wonderful little person.”

I turn my head to have a look at John; he is staring at me in a way I have never seen before, not from him at least, and I realize that what I had said jokingly in the morning, that I am lucky because everyone likes me, is maybe true. I am not sure I deserve it, but I am beginning to think that life is worth living.

\---

Two months have passed. We live in Trenton now, and we have settled in a comfortable routine; Gabriel and Gen have immediately bonded, they really seem siblings, so we have decided they have to stay together. I and John are keeping them both, one week each. And Bear is always where they are.

But there are many days when we are all together, for a trip, for dinner, to play chess, to watch television. And when the kids are with each other, or playing with Bear, I like to talk with John; about Sameen, mostly, and Harold.

He always knows the right words to say, and never offers empty platitudes. He makes me feel better, after.

This week, they are staying with John, but Gen calls me while I am coding on the couch, and asks me to join her and Gabriel.

I reply: “Gen, sweetheart, of course I’m coming, is there a problem?”

“No, Sam, I am only missing you … “

“Oh … but you were in my place only two days ago … “

“Please, Sam! I already asked John, and he agrees you can stay for dinner; he’s cooking sole meunière!”

I sigh “Okay, Gen, I’m coming!” I can’t deny Gen anything, and she knows that. I don’t understand why she or Gabriel call me so often when they are with John, and sometimes they call John when they are with me. But I don’t mind, John’s house is a minute’s walk from mine, and I like to see them; and by them, I mean Gen, Gabriel and John.

\---

John opens the door, and smirks “Here we are again.”

“Yes, they apparently want us both … “

The kids ask us some questions, I explain something about coding, John explains some tricks for undercover operations, then they greet us and go upstairs, in the little study John has had furnished for them, to check something out on the web.

Then I help him with dinner, and we call the children to eat. I am enjoying this moment, we look like a happy family … only that we are not.

After dinner, Gen and Gabriel go back to their activity, a research about dinosaurs, I think, and I settle on the couch with John, and ask him: “How was today?”

“At work, you mean? Good, I like it, time flies. You?”

“The same; I do what I am good at, so it’s okay.”

“Have you… met someone?”

I make a sad smile “You mean, someone I … like?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“No, John; same problem as you … and I don’t want to bring someone home only to … spend some hours. You?”

“No.”

I change subject “The kids … what should we do with them?”

“I don’t know, really. I like them, and I would like to adopt both, but I am sure you have the same intention.”

I nod, adding: “Yes, besides we cannot separate them, they are like brother and sister. So, what do we do?”

“I don’t know; why don’t we ask them?”

\---

We are in John’s living room, the four of us, and he explains the situation, ending with a question for them: “What do you think?”

Gen and Gabriel look at each other, then the girl nods and the boy says: “I want to stay with Gen, in the same house.”

I agree, and so does John.

Gabriel goes on “We don’t want to change house once a week, as we are doing now.”

We agree on that too.

Then Gen cuts in “Children need two parents.”

I say: “Uh, yes, so you mean that the one of us that will be your adoptive parent will have to marry someone … “

I am interrupted by Gen, who huffs “Jesus, I like you both, but let me say, you are two idiots!”

I am dumbfounded “Gen! What …? “

“Are you blind, Sam? And you, John? Don’t you see how… oh, never mind! Come on, Gabriel, let’s go back to our activities.”

Gabriel shrugs, and follows her upstairs, leaving me and John open-mouthed.

I look at John and tell him: “You know what she means, don’t you?”

He is uncomfortable “Yes, they want us to … get together.”

“I don’t blame them; they have seen me like a sort of mother, and you like a sort of father, so it’s only logical.”

“Yes, children tend to think everything is simple; life is more complicated than that. We should speak to them.”

“Now?”

He smirks “No time like the present. But I suggest that we talk to them separately; I take Gabriel, you take Gen.”

“Okay, John.”


	8. Sometimes Kids Are Smarter Than Adults

\- John - 

We knock on the door of the study, and they open it; I ask Gabriel to follow me outside, then in my own bedroom, while Sam enters and sits on a chair next to Gen, who stretches out on the little couch.

We settle on two chairs, and I say to him: “You want me and Sam together.”

He is not surprised at all, and his answer is immediate “Yes.”

“Listen, Gabriel, I understand this, every child has the right to a father and a mother, and you and Gen like both me and Sam … “

“Yes, and you and Sam like both me and Gen.”

“Yes, absolutely, Gabe!”

“And Gen is like a sister to me.”

“You are totally right, kid.”

“And you love Sam!”

I sigh “You are wrong on this.”

“Are you joking? Everyone can tell that … you are always kind to her, you smile when she is around. You like her.”

“Gabriel, Sam is a dear friend, now, and I … care for her; we both suffered a lot, lost common friends, but you know that.”

“Of course I know … what do you mean exactly, when you say that you care for her?”

“Well, I like to talk with her … I want her to be happy, safe, after all what happened.”

“Do you trust her?”

“With my life.”

“She is intelligent.”

“Yes, she is.”

“She is a kind person.”

“Yes, she is now.” And I mean it, she really is. I remember when Shaw asked her not to change, but Samantha did, instead; only, she changed for the better.

“And beautiful. Don’t you think she is beautiful?”

“Of course she is, but … “

“Have you ever had desired her … physically?” 

“Gabe! You are ten!”

“I hacked the Pentagon years ago, I am more mature than my age implies. Besides, Gen is better than me at this sentimental stuff, and she says you two are in love with each other; smitten, even.”

I sighed “Okay, Gabe, I’ll tell you something, but only if you promise that you won’t spill to Sam.”

“I swear, not a word will exit this mouth.”

“Well, you are partially right; I … like her… a lot, but I never indulged in this feeling because I know I wouldn’t have any hope.” I am telling the truth; when she is nearby, I feel a sensation of warmth that I try to shrug off, unsuccessfully.

“Why is that?”

“Because she is … I mean, she doesn’t like men … physically.”

Gabriel stayed silent for a while, then said: “So, this is the problem; you wouldn’t mind to be in a relationship with her, if she were heterosexual.”

God, he isn’t shy at all! I say “Yes, I would try. If she were … different; but I wouldn’t if that makes her unhappy.”

“Her happiness is important to you; you do love her.”

I surrender, definitely “Yeah, maybe I do. But she will always love Sameen.”

Gabriel nods “Okay, John. We are good, I think.” And he reaches for the door.

I stop him “Wait, Gabe! Remember, you promised.”

He smirks “I won’t say anything of this.”

When he is out, I realize I have just admitted that I am in love with Samantha Groves, and I feel flabbergasted.

 

\- Samantha -

Gen looks into my eyes and says: “Sam, it’s not only that I want a father and a mother; it’s also what I see when you and John are together.”

I try to keep a light tone “Oh … what do you see, then?”

“I see you two make a magnificent couple; you are comfortable with each other, you are kind to each other, you smile to each other, you sooo obviously like each other.”

“Gen … John is a dear friend, and yes, he is kind to me; we passed through hell together, Gen, he is not like any other person to me. And I like him a lot. But love is … another thing; I loved Sameen, you know.”

“Do you think that loving someone else would mean that you betray her memory?”

“I don’t know, maybe.”

“But she wanted you to be happy, you said … “

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Why do you like him? You didn’t, once, right?”

“Yes, I didn’t; I was wrong, Gen. The truth is that John is a kind man, and he always helped whomever needed it; even a bad person like me; like I was back in the time, I mean.”

“But you don’t love him?”

“Well, Gen, let’s say that I cannot love him, probably.”

“Because of your … sexuality?”

“Gen, I’m not having a discussion about this with a thirteen-years -old!”

“Sam, please … I had been looking after myself since forever. I am not an unexperienced little girl … tell me!“

I think it over, and I decide she deserves an answer “I don’t know, Gen … I told you about Hanna; after that, I thought all males were disgusting pigs, but I was so wrong … I met him, Harold, Lionel. I like his presence, he makes me comfortable.”

I am realizing in this moment that I like to touch him and to be touched by him; I have thought this was due to a desire of protection, a need to know there is someone ready to support me; but there is more, maybe?

I remember when, two days ago, back in New York, we were standing in front of Sameen’s grave; our shoulders were touching, and I had to suppress a sudden desire to bend my head and rest it on his shoulder.

I shake off my thoughts “Honestly, kiddo, I don’t know; I am not sure about the … physical part.”

“Oh! Have you never been … with a man?” 

“Never.”

“So, maybe you are bisexual, who knows … and he is handsome, isn’t he?”

“Yes, Gen, he is.”

“He is also strong, and a good person.” I nod, a bit flushed.

“Why don’t you try, then?”

“Well, there is something else; my past … I was a really bad girl.”

“He has forgiven you!”

“Has he, completely? To the point of loving me? I am not so sure. You must know he was in love with a Detective, Joss Carter was her name; and she was a wonderful person; how could I ever compare with her?”

“Yeah, so? Who says that you have to be better than her? Please, give it a try, what can possibly go wrong? At worst, he’ll say no!”

“What if he says yes, and when we are .. together, well, my … body rejects his?”

“Do you really want to spend the rest of your life wondering about that question?” Then she hugs me, and whispers: “Please, Sam … I want to call you mom, and to call John dad … “

I am assailed by a wave of emotion, and I decide to take the risk: I owe her this.

She looks up into my eyes, smirking “Go to him now, Gabe and I have to google for a while … you two, try not to be too noisy.”

“Gen!”

“And, by the way, I’d like to have a newborn sibling to take care of … “

“That’s enough, Gen!”

She snickers and opens the door; there is Gabriel outside, and he enters while I get out; he has the time to wink at me, smirking. I collect myself, but I stop for a moment on the threshold; yes, I want to raise these two children, and I want John on my side, of that I am sure.

But how? Asking him no to have any intimate moment with me? Sleeping with him every now and then? I am so undecided, but I get out of the door anyway. And, some yards away, there is John.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next one is the shortest and the last!


	9. Epilogue

\- Samantha - 

We look at each other, and I immediately understand; his eyes are so expressive that it’s impossible not to see the affection they are oozing; and suddenly I feel butterflies in my stomach. God, I needed a talk with a teenager to get it, that I am in love with this man, and that he is in love with me! 

We slowly approach each other, then he takes my hands in his, whispering: “Sam, I … I … “

“I love you too, John.” Then I kiss his lips, softly, and after that I also know with absolute certainty that I will adore his body on mine, inside mine.

I tell him: “Let’s make love, John.”

He nods with eyes full of happiness, then he lifts me up in his arms. And while he takes me to bed, I cannot help but think: “See, Sameen? I am happy now, just like you wanted.”

 

\- Gen –

Two years have passed since then; I still remember that day: dad going with mom in his bedroom, well they weren’t dad and mom back then, we called them John and Sam.

Two hours after that, they came out together, grinning like idiots and so obviously in love. And their eyes were shining, not simply with affection for each other, like before, but with adoration.

After some days, they told us, that is me and Gabe, that they were getting married and wanted to adopt us.

After a couple of weeks, they told us Sam was pregnant, and after some more weeks they told us it was twins! 

Then we found this new, bigger house for our family.

Then the babies were born, a male and a female. Their names were, of course, Harold and Sameen.

We go to New York every week, to visit the graves of our friends: Shaw and Harold, of course, but also Joss Carter, whom I didn’t know in person, but dad told me a lot about her, so she is a friend too now.

In these occasions I really can see that my parents are in love with each other; the unspoken memories they share before those tombstones are something that binds them together, and always will.

Every now and then both dad and mom thank me or Gabe for making them understand the truth about their connection, but I was the lucky one: I never had parents who loved me like these two do, and now I have also a smart brother and two little siblings, and above all else I really feel at home, safe and loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my 13th fanfiction story, and now I am done.
> 
> I wanted to drop this one altogether, but out of respect for my few readers, I decided to finish it.
> 
> Thank you everyone, it has been a fun ride!


End file.
